It Is Better To Be Feared Than Loved Essay

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Machiavelli says it is better to be feared the loved. As for that statement, I strongly disagree. He does have means for saying that, but his morals are wrong. Machiavelli shows himself to be a person who does not understand the importance of love and acceptance, for him all that is important is power and conquering.
First, he says “A prince should make himself feared in such a way that, though he does not gain he love, he escapes hatred.” Clearly, Machiavelli does not understand the importance of love and respect. If rulers were to act the way he says, they would feel the everlasting aching of loneliness. The leaders would also become known for being unloved and dictating. If somebody becomes overly controlling they will lose all respect and become more than feared, but hated. No leader could perform well if they face the hardships above.
Second, the reason he believes it is better to be feared than loved is that, somebody is less concerned to offend someone they love than one they fear. Although this may be true, facing emotional roadblocks such as being offended, builds character as a leader to show you can face hardships. If a leader is never personally offended, how is one to know if they are able to lead a country? I think the real reason Machiavelli says this is not the fear of being offended, but instead the fear of failing. He thinks that if you somehow can cut out all roadblocks, and end all human feeling; you can somehow succeed and conquer. In fact, this is wrong. Some of the world’s greatest leaders are where they are solely because they were able to show their shield to the hardships of the world. We take for example, Nelson Mandela. Mandela was probably the greatest world leader. He was convicted of crimes of sabotage and sentenced to prison. He lived in prison for 27 years before he was released. Mandela never lost hope; after he was released he found a place in his heart to forgive everyone that had turned their backs on him. He was elected...